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Ray Rice coughs up huge fumble but ends up champion

NEW ORLEANS — Ray Rice was determined to make his first Super Bowl experience a success. Still he and his Baltimore Ravens teammates nearly suffered the worst collapse in NFL championship history on a bizarre

"You lose the Super Bowl, and you're in second place; you're a loser," he said. "You get roped off, and the other team is out there celebrating. You get totally forgotten about. You'll just be known as the people who lost in the Super Bowl."

After a huge scare, that was not something Baltimore had to bear.

Rice who ran for 1,143 yards and nine touchdowns in the regular season, helped balance the Ravens offense. Baltimore and quarterback Joe Flacco have been prolific, particularly passing, in the playoffs.

The former Rutgers standout had 306 rushing yards and two TDs in four postseason games this season.

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Super Bowl XLVII will be remembered for coaching brothers John and Jim Harbaugh opposing each other on the sidelines. Older brother John and the Ravens held off Jim and the 49ers for a 34-31 victory.
Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports

The 49ers' hopes ended when this fourth-down pass intended for Michael Crabtree fell incomplete. San Francisco clamored for a pass interference penalty, but none was called.
Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports

49ers receiver Michael Crabtree (15) trots into the end zone to complete a 31-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. Crabtree's score cut the San Francisco deficit to 28-13.
Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports

Ravens defender Arthur Jones (97) celebrates after recovering a fumble by 49ers running back LaMichael James in the second quarter. The turnover led to Baltimore's second touchdown.
Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

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Rice wanted to deliver for the men who helped bring him to football's biggest stage — men such as New Rochelle High School head coach Lou DiRienzo, former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano and Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

"My high school coach is the greatest man I've ever met in my life," Rice said. "When you get to college, you try to shape yourself and find out what kind of great men are around you. When I went to Rutgers, it was all about family. When I got with the Ravens, I'm talking about the ultimate brotherhood with Ray Lewis and the way he captured the whole locker room to bring us together for one sole purpose, and that's to win the Super Bowl."

Bringing the retiring Lewis a championship in his final game was a mandate for Rice and the Ravens. They were able to deliver — albeit in shaky fashion — for the player they most revere.

"The main thing that Ray Lewis has done for my career was he taught me how to be a pro," Rice, a three-time Pro Bowl selection said. "To me being a pro has everything to do with how you act, not only on the field, but off the field as well. He was a leader by example, but his words get across to not only us but everywhere in America. It feels good to know that he's my guy not only on the field, but for life."

VIDEO: RAVENS BEAT 49ERS IN WILD SUPER BOWL

A power outage at the Super Bowl put the nation's biggest sporting event on hold for more than a half-hour Sunday in a contest that saw the Baltimore Ravens defeat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31.
AP